Why Would Anyone Choose Your Law Firm?

Perham, Minnesota is a small town of about 700 families covering a mere 3.18 square miles. On any given day in Perham, the one-mile stretch of Main Street plays host to residents and visitors alike. They come to dine at one of Perham’s quaint restaurants, outfit their lake homes from the gift shops and, on occasion, consult one of the town’s seven local attorneys.

Three law firms, seven attorneys, within eight blocks, serving a town of just 700 families.Even in small town America, legal consumers have choices.

Now, where do you practice? Odds are, there’s another attorney vying for the same clients you are every second of every day. The question you and your marketing plan need to answer is, why you?

This concept, known as a “competitive advantage” is hardly new. But identifying your competitive advantage, then selling on it is a challenge that can stymy any business, from solo attorneys to nationwide networks of sales executives from Fortune 500 companies.

The reason? Truly differentiating yourself is hard. Ask a hundred attorneys what makes them different, and you’ll get a lot of similar answers:

Sound familiar? That’s because they’re overused. Even outside of the legal industry, vague claims of quality, experiences, success and ill-defined guarantees abound. To a seasoned consumer, the words are as meaningless and trustworthy as a bad pick-up line. To stand out from the crowd, you have to offer something truly unique.

How To Find Your Advantage

Take a look at your firm – and take a look at the competition. Watch for overused clichés and under-leveraged differences. You might be one of several successful attorneys in town, but you might also be the only one who invites your clients to “come in for coffee” rather than offering them a “free consultation”.

Sure, that may sound cheesy to you right now. But to a coffee fan who values a personal connection, you’ve just set yourself apart without claiming the same “personal attention” they’ve heard a thousand times before.